Inside The Twins

First base umpire struck in head by line drive in Twins-Mets game

Hunter Wendelstedt was able to walk off the field under his own power after a scary incident.
Will Ragatz|
Jul 5, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt (21) looks on from behind home plate during the fourth inning between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Jul 5, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt (21) looks on from behind home plate during the fourth inning between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Twins

Wednesday's series finale between the Twins and Mets at Target Field included a scary moment for veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Serving as the first base ump, Wendelstedt was struck in the side of the head by a screaming foul line drive off the bat of New York's Tyrone Taylor in the top of the seventh inning.

The 53-year-old was down for a minute or so while being looked at by medical personnel. Eventually, he was able to walk off the field under his own power, holding a towel to his head.

Taylor reacted immediately after seeing the ball strike Wendelstedt, but it was obviously a freak accident that no one could've prevented. The ball was hit too hard for Wendelstedt to avoid being hit.

Hopefully he's OK. This story will be updated if further information becomes available.

Wendelstedt has been an umpire in Major League Baseball since 1998. He's worked numerous playoff series, including the 2014 World Series.

Second base umpire Adam Hamari slid over to first base for the remainder of Wednesday's contest.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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